40% How much longer it can take to solve maths problems when attempting to multi-task
Put down your pens, people. More of us than ever are working longer hours too often, and it’s starting to have an impact on our mental and physical health and wellbeing. In the past five years the number of people working excessive hours – defined as more than 48 hours a week – has risen 15%, according to research by the TUC. Workers who spend such long hours at their desks are exposed to a significant increase in their risk of developing heart disease, stress, mental illness and diabetes. Here are four ways you can work smarter so you can leave the office earlier and spend more time doing the things you enjoy.
➊ Multi-tasking might feel like a shortcut to success but it’s actually the fast route to failure. Our brains work best when focusing solely on one job, not when juggling multiple projects. Study subjects who had to switch between tasks took up to 40% longer to complete complicated maths problems than those who focused on solving one at a time, the Journal Of Experimental Psychology reported.
➋ Prioritising the key tasks is important but it’s also good to keep ticking off boxes on your to-do list for a sense of achievement and success. A separate conclusion from the multi-tasking study was that failing to solve work problems released stress hormones and adrenaline, creating a vicious circle of more pressure, anxiety and fear that work would never be finished.
➌ If you tend to procrastinate or feel overwhelmed by the volume of work, try the Pomodoro technique. Advocates set a timer to work for 25 solid minutes on a task. When time’s up, take a five-minute break, then do another 25. After four work periods, take a break of 15-30 minutes. Creator Francesco Cirillo used a pomodoro (tomato-shaped) kitchen timer, but you don’t have to.
➍ Parkinson’s law says work always expands to fill the time available to do it. Setting yourself artificially early deadlines for big jobs, or breaking them down into smaller daily chunks, can increase focus and motivation. And take a five-minute break every hour: a study from the University of Illinois found that regular short work breaks significantly increase people’s ability to focus for prolonged periods.